The Chronicle
DECEMBER 2011
ISSUE # 2
Ecological Mutilation: Can it Be Reversed?
By Mansee Bubber
“With our modern awareness of
ecology, are we likely to make
sufficient progress in conservation,
or are we still in danger of
damaging the earth beyond
repair?”
Modern awareness will never be able to reverse
the ecological mutilation that generations upon
generations have imparted on our universal
mother, Earth. Every day, trees are being cut
down and the air is constantly being polluted. The
conscious efforts that some people make to
conserve what we have left will not be able to
palpitate others‘ inconsiderate milking and
misuse of the quickly diminishing resources. As
the world‘s population rises, resource
consumption will naturally rise, and waste
management will become even more of a
problem. Many individuals do not understand the
importance of resource conservation, preventing
pollution, and taking further steps to help the
environment.
We all go through many phases in our liveslike early childhood and teen phases.
Likewise, there have been many modern
awareness movements that have just existed for
certain periods of time. For example, the content
in Al Gore‘s movie ―An Inconvenient Truth".
Even though the audience is flabbergasted by
what pollution has caused (rising sea levels due to
the melting of polar ice caps), most of these
people moved on with their lives and do not
worry about the effects of pollution anymore.
After watching this movie, people should have
started to care about how much they pollute while
driving and accordingly considered alternatives.
On the other hand, caring about pollution proved
to simply be a phase for the people who were
astonished by the facts momentarily and who
applied conservational changes in their lives for
only a short period of time.
http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Mask_19022
In many countries around the world, earthconservation is probably the last priority on their
to-do list.
Iraq, for example, is a country is filled with
destruction because of the ongoing war and has no
infrastructure whatsoever because of this. In
addition, oil is still being sold after all that has
happened and none of the money made from the
sales is going towards preserving whatever is left.
Other countries like India, have started to take
action. One is called ―The Clean up Mumbai‖
effort. Nevertheless, the number of cars on the
streets practically doubles every year- thus,
causing irreparable damage to the earth‘s
atmosphere. In addition, many uneducated people
are not bothered about the damage they may be
causing to the earth; they only care about their
own survival.
“What man calls civilization always
results in deserts. Man is never on the
square – he uses up the fat and greenery
of the earth. Each generation wastes a
little more of the future with greed and
lust for riches.” – Don Marquis
Ban the Bottle
>FULL INDEX ON A2
A2 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
WORLD NEWS
INDEX
A World News
Environ., A1 CEOs, A2
___________________________________
H Human Interest
The Penguins, H1
Editorial, H1 and H2
Christmas, H2
Dog’s life. H3
Book review, H3
___________________________________
O Opinion Pieces
TV Recommendations, O1
Life in a Box, O1 and O2
Misc. Opinion, O2
Comics, O2
___________________________________
X St. Francis Xavier
Tangled, X1
The one about paper, X1 and
X2
Zoff Fashion Show, X2
Council News, X3
Sudoku, X3
CEO Compensation: Deserving
Workers or Greedy Lottery
Winners
By Adam Smith
http://www.mattmacdonald.ca/blog/?currentPage=10
Are CEOs paid too much? Can someone
justify paying a single person, what the
Column 1, X2
average Canadian makes for a year of work,
___________________________________
by lunch time on the first day? Yes and no. A
typical Canadian CEO is in charge of the
entire business operation of a company.
Lululemon, for example, is a Vancouver based
company that has stores all across Canada and
the United States. This giant company caters to
a lot of people, who shop at a lot of locations.
There is a lot potential for chaos, and a
shocking amount of responsibility that
accompanies the havoc. Don‘t parents
normally reward their children for taking on
extra responsibility? So why wouldn‘t
someone put into this real world situation be
compensated?
On the other hand, they are still regular
people, and while their work is important,
some would say integral. However, there are a
lot of other people that are integral to a
corporation‘s/organization‘s/company‘s
success that don‘t make six million dollars a
year. Yes, that is the average for what a
Canadian CEO makes in a year, that‘s like
winning the lottery, every year, for the average
Canadian's working life.
A wonderful allegory for that particular
situation is the new movie starring Amanda
Seyfried and Justin Timberlake, In Time. The
basic premise of the movie is that the rich,
who have all of the benefits in the world,
happen to be the minority and the poor, who
are the majority, are left to struggle to survive.
Sound familiar? It sounds almost like a certain
protest that has been going on in most major
cities in North America for the past couple of
months. That is right, the Occupy Movement,
which have stubbornly been inhabiting city
parks, in major urban centres. While the
movement has not yet demanded anything,
they are a passionate group of people, with a
fairly loud voice.
In the end, a higher pay cheque is deserved.
CEOs must go through a lot of schooling, a lot
of prestigious, expensive schooling. The kind
of education that not many people are given
the opportunity to gain, and are not able to
gain.
However, that being said, the price tag that
most are toting behind them right now is
outrageous. They can afford to take a pay cut,
a small one yes. Maybe, instead of earning
seven figures, they can fall back into the six
figure range, but that is wishful thinking. No
matter how unfair it is, no matter what is right,
or ethical, the CEOs will be paid, what CEOs
are paid.
…
H1 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
Fling of the Flightless
By Eric Flockhart
http://scaramouchee.blogspot.com/2011/12/
saddest-story-of-day-torontos-gay.html
What if they only like to swim with each other?
What if they want to move in and live together?
What if they are both male? What if they are both
penguins?
As astounding as it sounds, two seemingly
―over-friendly‖ African Penguins at the Toronto
Zoo have captured large amounts of attention from
the media. The two adorable flightless birds are the
best of friends, and just like the ―B.F.F‘s‖ of the
human species, they do everything together. The
penguins, Pedro and Buddy, have often been seen
swimming, eating, playing, and even nesting
together. This has prompted zoo-goers to question
the true nature of their relationship and ask: could
these penguins actually be homosexual?
With a little research, many would find that this
is not entirely unheard of. In fact, in 2005, two
male Chinstrap Penguins at the Central Park Zoo
successfully hatched and raised a young chick from an
egg that was given to them by zoo keepers. This pair,
Roy and Silo, were together for two mating seasons
before splitting up and finding female partners.
In the rest of the Animal Kingdom, countless species
have been recorded displaying homosexual behaviour.
Over 20 species of mammals including elephants and
cheetah, 4 species of birds, many species of fish, over 15
species of reptiles and amphibians, and hundreds of
species of insects have been known to exhibit some form
of homosexuality. This begs the question: Why are these
two innocent penguins causing such uproar if this type of
behaviour has been seen before?
The workers at the Toronto Zoo may have something to
do with this. Tom Mason, the curator of birds and
invertebrates at the Toronto Zoo, and his co-workers
have been forced to separate the two penguins as it is
their job to match them with females and produce offspring for this World Wildlife Fund recognized
endangered species. Mason believes that people try to
visualize issues that occur within the animal world in
relation to those of the human species. This causes the
same type of outcry that the Toronto Zoo has dealt with
in recent weeks from people who believe that it is yet
another example of taking away the rights of gays.
Regardless, it has proven to be a touchy subject,
especially in this modern society where acceptance and
inclusion has become more and more important. In light
of the commotion caused by the public, the Toronto Zoo
has stated that they will reunite the couple of Buddy and
Pedro after they have mated. In reality, it doesn‘t matter
what us humans think; as long as the penguins are happy.
Editorial
Who Knows How to Teach?
By Ritika Chakrabarty
From a student's perspective, the willingness
and drive to do well often lies with the teacher
teaching the course. However irrational it may
sound, the fact is that I, along with many
other students, perform better in a class when
we like and respect the teacher and educating
style. Many people will argue that while we
can't always get teachers or professors that we
like, we still need to do well. However, I
strongly believe that because it is in high
school that we are introduced to the subjects
that will more likely than not become the
basis of our future, we deserve to be selective
about the people that will be introducing us to
them.
What constitutes a ‗good‘ teacher?
According to the results of a poll, the
overwhelming majority of students believe
that a good teacher is one who accepts that
they have a diverse set of students with
various opinions, levels of understanding and
learning styles. A good teacher is also
someone who can challenge and respect the
intellectual ideas of students.
When St. Francis Xavier S.S. students
were asked why they liked their favourite
teachers, I was very surprised. I had expected
to hear answers such as, ―Oh, he
marks so easy‖ or ―[W]e barely get any
assignments from her.‖ However, the students
in our school have surprised me. Their
answers were insightful and carefully
thought-out. Most students listed the traits
STORY CONTINUED ON H2…
H2 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
Who knows how to teach? contd.
they loved about their teachers. Many said
that their teachers used their own personal
experiences to relate to the course. Also
mentioned was the fact that some students are
afraid of specific teachers but then went on to
say that the fear keeps them in check and
motivates them to work that much harder to
please their teacher.
For teachers and students to exist in
harmony, there should be open lines of
communication. Teachers are not the enemy,
they are here to help. Similarly, students are
not immature brats who are here to make
trouble; most of us, contrary to popular belief,
are here to get as much out of our educators as
we possibly can. We want what they have to
offer. But we, despite our age, also have much
to offer. As society changes, so too should the
methods of education; at Xavier we are
fortunate to have the evolution of teaching
and learning happening every day.
http://rustleblog.wordpress.com/
Stealing Christmas
By Ritika Chakrabarty
I must admit—I am the type of person
who gets that tingly feeling in my toes
during this time of year. I am usually the
stereotypical warm-fire-loving, hotchocolat-guzzling, tree-decorating, carolsinging fanatic. Usually being the key word
there. This year, I find myself walking
through mundane rain-soaked streets and
ugly yellow-brown fields of dying grass. Is
the excitement of Christmas dying out?
What is December without snow? For the
first time ever, the Grinch in me is surfacing,
and I find myself scowling at every mention
of the holiday season. With every passing
year, I feel the so-called ―Christmas spirit‖
ebbing farther and farther away. I can‘t help
thinking that perhaps it‘s because I‘m
getting older, and when I want to avoid
thinking of the horrible prospect of growing
up, I blame the alternative: perhaps it‘s
because I feel so strongly about the absence
of snow. Or maybe it‘s not me at all; maybe
Christmas has just become an
inconvenience, a big bother—think of all
that money spent on people we talk to barely
http://www.falsegravity.com/?p=426
once a year, all that needless worry
about that last-minute shopping, and the
worst of all, the lack of sleep. Malls
become unbearable, with a bustling
throng of shoppers aggressively shoving
their way past their ‗competition‘. When
did the holidays become so stressful? I
remember it being ten times more
enjoyable when I was five—back when
the Christmas season meant having a
generous supply of hugs, kisses, and
perhaps a few presents as well. The
simplicity of the joy I felt then was what
made me love Christmas. Shouldn‘t it be
that way every year?
H3 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
It’s a Dog’s Life
By C. Perrotta Pooler
I recently experienced my first run-in with a
mean dog. I am generally the kind of person who
will extend my arm at the approach of any dog,
regardless of size, and was confronted by this mean
little dog while walking my eight month old puppy
last week.
Charlie noticed the dog well before I did and
started his usual routine of choking himself to try to
get closer to the fast-moving pooch and his owner.
While I struggled to keep Charlie walking beside me
and not walking me, I looked up ahead to see this
little dog and his owner moving quickly towards the
entrance of the park. I noticed the owner look back
at Charlie and I, only to quicken her pace, and
realized that she was trying to avoid us.
I was disappointed by this attempted escape and
wondered what the woman was thinking as she tried
to thwart our impending arrival; as Charlie was now
dragging me down the sidewalk in a classic
Marmaduke cartoon-like way.
When we got close enough for her to hear me
telling Charlie to heel, the woman turned around and
said, ―my dog‘s not friendly. He doesn‘t like other
dogs.‖ I couldn‘t believe she had just said this to me.
This woman was unapologetically telling me that her
dog was unfriendly.
When we got a little closer Charlie bounded over
to the mean dog with the fun-loving demeanor of a
happy puppy; and when Mean Dog growled and
bared his teeth, Charlie ran behind my leg to hide. It
didn‘t take him more than a few seconds to try to
appeal to his new ―friend‖ again, and he was met
with the same fierce cruelty. Charlie looked up at me
in confusion; ―why doesn‘t this dog want to be my
Charlie, after his walk
friend?‖
The point is that Charlie tried again, and when
we saw Mean Dog again two days later, Charlie was
willing to extend a paw, even though he was once
again brutally denied.
Sometimes in life it is easier to put up a wall or
show a hard façade so that others are afraid to
approach us; and doing this means that we don‘t
have to let people get to know us. I think we could
learn a lot from Charlie‘s encounter with Mean Dog;
if we go through life growling with bared teeth, we
will never make friends with the Charlie‘s of the
world.
The Hangman’s Daughter
By Chloe M G
The Hangman‘s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch,
strangely, is not really about the hangman‘s daughter.
More accurately, the book should be named simply The
Hangman, or The Physicians Son, or The Wagon
Driver, or the Burgers, or The Devil with The Bone
Hand, or The Inn Keeper, or The Midwife, or The
Orphans, or maybe even Jakob Schreevogl, the
stovemaker.
The Hangman‘s Daughter, set in 1667 is about a
child (the child of the wagon drivers, whose long and
sad history is readily divulged) who is murdered and
found with a strange symbol marked on his back. The
town immediately proclaims witchcraft and hunts down
the midwife. The hangman and the physician, convinced
of her innocence, hunt down the murderer on their own.
But as they delve deeper into the mystery, children start
to die, (all orphans) and one child was seen being
kidnapped by the devil himself.
The book is -quite frankly- amazingly well
researched, if a bit bogged down with needless
expositions of foresaid research. And while there
are places where the book can be quite repetitive,
they are usually easily skimmed over and don‘t
detract too much from the plot.
Speaking of the plot, it was pretty well
developed. The repetition gave readers time to
think about what was really going on.
There were many twists and complexities in
the plot, more than enough to keep a sustained
interest.
If you are looking for a book where every
word is meaningful and the title gives deep and
eloquent insight into the book, then this is not the
book for you.
But if you are looking for an enjoyable read
which deviates from your standard reading list, or
the series of clichés that populate a great majority
of popular fiction, then, this is the book for you.
This is the book for you if you are looking
for a quick thrill that will keep you on the edge of
your seat.
O1 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
OPINION PIECES
Television Recommendation:
A show you should have been
watching
By Mathura Thiyagarajah
The holiday season presents a break from television
shows as most only return from the winter
hiatus after News Year‘s Day. If you are not too busy
wrapping presents, spending time with
family and friends, or finishing up gifts from teachers
(a.k.a. Christmas Break homework), you
could distract yourself with watching a show that will
never make you wait for new episodes.
For those of you who are graduating and have
university applications on your mind, take your
mind off the intimidating future after graduation by
watching this underrated drama about
college life.
Greek is an ABC family drama with a heavy dose of
witty dialogue and delightful characters that only has
a four-season run, with the final season consisting of
ten episodes. It centers around two siblings who
could not be any more different. Casey Cartwright is
on her way to becoming the president of her sorority,
ZBZ, and has used her time in college to build a
secure social life rather than dedicate her time to
studying. Her freshman brother, Rusty Cartwright, is
the epitome of a nerd (he‘s majoring in Polymer
Science) but is determined to turn his social life
around. What better way than to delve into Greek life
like his über-popular sister and rush a fraternity?
The pilot introduces a cast of colourful characters
with clear stereotypes: the entitled president
of the preppiest fraternity, the ditzy sorority girl, the
rich girl who is used to getting her way,
and the ultimate fraternity slacker. The show is set up
as frivolous, with characters who care way too much
about which sorority is on top and when the next
party is.
It does not take long for every single one of these
stereotypes to be shredded and replaced with
deep, multi-dimensional characters. At the forefront is
the development of Casey and Rusty‘s
sibling relationship from non-existent to powerfully
supportive.
I originally overlooked the show because not only
was it an ABC Family drama (the network
is not always known for producing more mature,
quality shows) but it was also a lot less
accessible in Canada than its ABC Family
counterparts, such as The Secret Life of the American
Teenager. Greek, however, offers a much more
enjoyable watching experience than other teen
dramas on major networks. Its smart writing and
ability to deal with everyday issues in an overthe-top setting of fraternity and sorority life never
comes off as preachy or insincere. A show
dedicated to the college experience is rarely found
http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/greek
amidst the slew of high school dramas. While
there are certain shows that follow their characters
to college, the transition often loses viewers
or the original essence of the show. Greek may not
be the most realistic portrayal of college and
will definitely be more difficult for Canadians to
relate to but it does actually touch upon the topics
of choosing a major, sitting in lectures, failing a
course, and other firsts associated with
the move to college.
It is definitely a show that would appeal to all
sorts of viewers because it
contains elements for everyone, whether that is
laugh-out-loud comedy, complicated romantic
entanglements, and pop culture references.
Ultimately, Greek is a show about finding yourself,
improving yourself, and being true to yourself –
without the excessive corniness of other shows.
Life In a Box
By Sarah-Michelle Nemeth
Tom Stoppard once said, ―Life in a box is
better than no life at all.‖ Is this statement true?
Sometimes it seems as though there is all this
pressure from society, and even from ourselves,
to be a certain person and live a certain life. We
are often unable to control the circumstances in
which we find ourselves and therefore end up
settling for ‗second-best‘ in whichever path of
life we are guided toward.
However, there will come a time in our lives
when we will inevitably realize that we are
trapped.
All we will see are four walls with nothing to
offer. We will wonder how we were ever happy
in such a lonely and dull environment. We
thought we had friends and interesting lives but
will soon come to the realization that we are, in
fact, living unsatisfactory and isolated lives. The
media, society, friends and family have all
driven us into this box with their high
expectations, grueling standards, and their idea
of how things ‗should‘ be. We are born, grow
up, go to school, get a job, get married, have
children, grow old and die.
STORY CONTINUED ON O2…
O2 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
OPINION PIECES
Life in a Box contd.
Get Re-Connected
By C. Perrotta Pooler and K. Pooler
―If you make sure you're connected, the writing's on the wall
But if your mind's neglected, stumble you might fall‖
-Stereo MC‘s Connected
http://anthonyrojas.deviantart.com/art/Recycled-Life-in-a-Box-quot-ARquot-173671554
Such is society‘s standard of a normal life. But where
does everyone else fit in? What about the ones who
go on to live extravagant lives by taking on
uncommon careers such as that of a performing
artist? What about the minorities in society—
homosexual persons, impoverished individuals, those
shadowed by addiction, and others who do not fit
these standards? Are they not people too? Society
does not have a place for those who do not fit into the
‗mould‘. It seems as though society does not want to
make place for such individuals, since those people
are still struggling to find a place to belong. Now
comes our moment to intervene. To break down the
box we live in, to let others in, to show the world who
we are instead of hiding ourselves away. It is time to
be extroverted. To take all the standards and
stereotypes and throw them out the window.
By breaking the stereotypes that confine not only
ourselves but others as well, we are allowing those
without a voice to have a say. Those who do not fit
into our strict mould are being given an opportunity
to break out of their tiny, isolated boxes.
The world is only as dark as we make it. By living
in our boxes, we surely cannot see the light of our
world. Breaking down our walls will give us all a
chance to see how bright the world is and just how
bright everyone else is too.
We are all unique flowers—each with our own
colour, petals, stem and roots; some wilted and others
blossoming nicely; some in the best soil; and some
growing in decaying dirt. Regardless of the type of
flower or soil, one thing is certain: no flower can
survive in a box. We all need sunlight—some kind of
light that can only be seen if we consciously choose
to free ourselves from life in a box.
It‘s difficult to connect in meaningful ways
when there are so many distractions. Technology has
enabled the information age to prosper and we are
seemingly more connected than we ever have been.
With a few clicks we can connect with people from all
over the world; including friends, family, and industry.
However, when we are in the persistent pattern
of constantly sending texts, checking emails, BBMing,
clicking like, commenting, adding friends, poking,
tweeting, minimizing popups and navigating between
social sites, do we falsely feel well-connected?
Perhaps we are just staying busy and perhaps
we are maintaining communications with our 500+
Facebook ‗friends‘, but during this technological surge
the gap has widened on the lack of meaningful
interaction with those close to us.
We have consequently forgotten how to
interact in face-time, because face-time is now a
feature offered by Apple‘s iPhone and is not a one-onone conversation with a friend.
This is not to say that technology is the enemy.
It has enabled society in many constructive and useful
ways. It has brought information to our fingertips in a
way that my generation never dreamed possible. I
know I would have certainly benefitted from the
internet when I was in high school, but instead I had to
do my research the old-fashioned way – by picking up
and reading a book.
For as useful as technology has become, there
still remains the problem that it also disables us from
real concentration and meaningful conversations
without distraction. As I write this article I have
received two email notifications in the bottom righthand corner of the screen, been alerted by my
blackberry with two BBM messages and one
Facebook update, and have screened two phone calls
from my good friends the telemarketers.
The trick is what I choose to occupy my
thoughts and energies with does not always need to
include the technology that surrounds me. It‘s nice to
set to silent, log out and power down for a little while,
to re-connect with the things that are the most
important in life.
Save the Date…
For Xavier’s Semi Formal:
February 17th 2012
O3 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
OPINION PIECES
The Chronicle Crossword
Made by C. Perrotta Pooler and R. Chakrabarty
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Across
2. Searches for the cup of Christ
4. Art Spiegleman's "Survivor's Tale"
5. Susie Salmon, like the fish
8. Chaucer's Tales
11. Bradbury's novel
___________________ 451
12. Pen name is Carroll
14. Searches for himself in New York
City; wonders about the ducks
17. The first rule is, you do not talk about
it
18. Safran Foer novel;
Extremely...Incredibly
19. Novel about a 19th Century
matchmaker
20. "Something is rotten in the state of
Denmark."
21. Father and lawyer in Maycomb
County
22. McEwan novel; Briony Tallis aspires
to be a writer
Down
1. James Joyce's controversial novel
3. Famous Jewish diary writer
6. Schoolboys become savages; Golding
novel
7. Nineteen Eighty-Four writer
9. Huxley's dystopian fantasy
10. The Autobiography of
___________________________
13. The Modern Prometheus
15. His book about the jazz age coined the
term
16. Author who wrote the famous line,
"Stelllllllaaa!"
O4 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
]
COMICS
To be continued…
X1 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
Get your tickets in the Drama
Room (106)
X2 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
Tangled
By Sarah-Michelle Nemeth
No matter how hard I try,
It always gets tangled, in a
Royal mess of wire and knots
Careful as I might try to be,
Gently placing it down,
In the morning when I wake,
There it lies,
Tangled up in its twisted ways
Smoothly unraveling every contorted line,
Laying it in a smoothed bundle to rest,
But when I reach for it at night,
Again, I find it tangled
It‘s something I‘ve come to accept,
My mother warned me and
My brother glares at my ways,
But still I reach
For the tangled mess I call home.
The joy it brings outweighs the struggle
to untangle the mess I know I‘ve made.
The One about Paper
By Chloe M G
It was eminent. We could see it coming. We were too important to be left alone, what we could tell others
was too great. The secrets we revealed too powerful.
The waiting was the worst part. Knowing our future, seeing it happen, again and again in front of us, it
was torture. We would be separated first, into small, more manageable groups. Separated from all we have
known. The lucky ones would have a friend or two, but some of us, would go it alone.
When we had first breathed, we were full of promise, blank pages waiting to be written on, waiting for our
identities- for the words that would define us- for the marks that would bind us, for the knowledge that
would taint us. We waited. And the waiting is always the worst part. Seeing it happen is bad, but the noises,
you can never escape the noises. Even to them it is horrific.
As they force us through it, as they watch us tear and be cut into pieces, their eyes show no mercy, but
when the noises sound. Then they change. Not all of them mind you but if the cries of our brethren are
enough to grate the ears of even one of our makers then it must be a terrible cry indeed. We call them
makers, though we existed before. We always exist before. But we were nothing.
We were one, and one is all but all is nothing. And until we are defined, until we are marked, until then we
are not made. We existed before them, but they made us. It was dark, it was always dark and some of us,
and because we are one that makes all of us, have memories.
Vague impressions of greens and browns, vague impressions of odd feelings. Of solidness. Of sturdiness.
Of strange melodious sounds and a swaying feeling. Of light and movement and openness. These memories,
no one knows where they come from, not even the ones who are here before.
They may be few in number, the hard-earned survivors, one of them too important to kill, others, still
waiting. Waiting is always the worst part. For are whole lives are waiting and the only thing to end the
waiting is death. As they force us down the machine, as our soul splits into pieces. As those strips of soul
X3 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
The One about Paper contd.
rest among the other strips of other souls we try to remember. Or, so we are told.
We are told that is what we must do. We can hear the call of the pieces of souls, they call to each other,
but sometimes they call to us. They are terrible garbled things, deformed, misshaped. They lie there,
mangled and alone, waiting. Waiting is the torture. Not the machine. Because even after the machine we
must wait in our agony.
Wait for them to come and empty our prison cell into another large bin. After that, some say is eternal
happiness. But others, others similar to our kind, claim the torture starts anew. We are forced again into
existence; we are sewn together into a new being made of many different souls.
After that we once again become marked, but differently so, and our purpose is greater. We are bound
then far more than we are bound now, some say. And we can never go through the machine again. That,
they say, is the only way to escape it. To escape the waiting, we must wait.
We must wait to face it to turn away from it. We must wait for the end to begin again. Waiting is our
torture. Not the shredder.
ZOFF
The Fashion Show
A Fashion Show is not just about the clothes, but about the story behind the clothes. The
woman that is meant to wear the clothes is substantial in the artifice of Fashion.
ZOFF 2012 was built around the classic woman. The pearls, the heels, the floral
designs, the long dresses, and the ruching.
I took inspiration from the classic woman, but I also threw in elements of younger
women. The collared skirts and form fitting designs held the collection together, while
the accents like the floral pattern and flower-like appliqués gave a younger touch to
classic pieces. As well, my accessories had to follow suit; I used costume pearls, and
neckties to add a romantic approach, while the chains and multiple belts threw in a punk
aspect to the collection.
In my family, women are seen as mother figures, career women, and are the people who
run the show. I recall what my mom, my nonna, and my aunts wear: simple, elegant,
multi-purpose pieces. They‘re probably not wearing Valentino or Chanel, but the
women in my family know what looks good. The one thing that continues to keep me
inspired is their ability to be strong, crazy, and audacious! Yet they still manage to shed
a tear and a happy smile when they get a mother‘s day card.
Both the fact of the women in my life and the idea that a woman can walk down the
street in anything ― the pure fantasy, the dreams ― is what makes fashion, for me
anyways, alive!
I would like to thank all of the wonderful people who made this show possible. The
beautiful people, are: my mother and father, Adam Smith, Rachel Baretto, Dillanique
Knight, Christine Ang, Mrs. S. Ihnatowycz, Mrs. E. Boutette, Mr. B. Somers, Ms. M.
Davis, Ms. L. Gallant, Dannielle James, Melissa Campoli, Natasha Crasto, Ritika
Chakrabarty, Ola Suchon, Jasmine So, Sadicka Barwhani, Dalia Naser, Eric Flockhart,
Shahida Islam, Ms. Chow, Ms. C. DiMichele, and all of those who were able to support
the show.
Finally, I would like to thank David Dixon at David Dixon INC, for his support and
generosity throughout my co-op at his studio. My journey would not be in the same
universe without this co-op adventure.
To all who wish to dream, you must close your eyes, so that you can open them to the
Wonders Unknown.
-M. Zoffranieri
X3 · THE CHRONICLE · DECEMBER 2011
XAVIER STUDENT COUNCIL
A Word from Student Council
Student Council would like to wish
Xavier staff and students and their
families a safe and happy holiday
season. We hope that the spirit of
the season will be with you as you
connect with family and friends. We
also hope you find the time to relax
and unwind so you feel rejuvenated
and ready for exams and another
great semester. Merry Christmas
and happy New Year, Xavier!
Stay tuned for the January issue
of the Chronicle!
The EXAM Issue:
Useful study tips
How to stay focused
How to keep from getting stressed
out
…and MORE!
CanYou Sudoku?
The objective of the game is to
fill all the blank squares in a
game with the correct numbers.
There are three very simple
constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9
square Sudoku game:
Every row of 9 numbers must
include all digits 1 through 9 in any
order
Every column of 9 numbers must
include all digits 1 through 9 in any
order
Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9
square must include all digits 1
through 9
How to reach the Editors and the teacher advisor:
Ritika Chakrabarty
Dalia Naser
Mrs. Perrotta Pooler
stfxschoolpaper@gmail.com
Send us your articles, creative writing pieces, drawings or letters for advice!